Aga Hussain, VP of Asia Rugby, believes that India can break into the top five in the next five years.

Solar Energy company PROINSO have also signed a sponsorship deal with the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU).

Rugby has over 44,000 registered players in the country.

The game was first played in India in 1871.

English: Europeans playing rugby football in Calcutta. Note – lack of Indian people, round (rather than oval) ball, unusual clothing and goal posts. Several of the players appear to be Welsh (hence the dragon) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The national team, however, was not formed until 1998. Their first game was against Singapore.

They were inducted into the International Rugby Board only in 2001.

India have never qualified for the Rugby World Cup.

If rugby in India has some kind of profile, it’s mostly due to the efforts of Bollywood star, Rahul Bose who represented India for almost 25 years.

Bose played 20 international matches but hung up his boots in 2008.

On his retirement, Bose said:

“Preparing and playing international rugby takes around two months which I don’t have on me now. I have to travel for film festivals, give lectures, I’m on the board of six NGOs and besides I also have my films. Rugby doesn’t pay you well and besides, the youngest player in the team is 18. I must have played with their fathers in school. I’m 40 now, so the signs are loud and clear that I should quit before I start playing with my friends’ children on the team.”

On what he gained from the sport:

“Like how to lose gradually and enjoy the score, not the result; to be a team player, because by nature I am an individualist; if you try to play alone, you are bound to get hurt; and, to have a hot heart and keep a cool head.Today we rank 81st among 110 countries and 50 years later, we will rank in the top 20 position. We will be part of the Common Wealth Games, too, but I will be a grandfather by then.”

Bose, of course, was present at the press conference announcing the tie-up with Societe General and Puma India as evidenced by the post below.